Erectable display sign



Feb. 25, 1969 v N. c. POF'QTER 3,429,546

EREGTABLE DISPLAY S IGN Filed Jan 9, 1967 INVENTOR.

NE|L C. PORTER BY 4 a F e. 5 M m ii'li. v ATTORNEYS 4 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A display sign mounted upon a panel so that the displaysign may be moved forwardly away from the panel for polishing and thenmove backwardly against the panel for its normal display position.

Background of the invention Brass nameplates or signs are usuallymounted upon some panel to more effectively set them off. The brassbecomes tarnished and in polishing the brass the polishing materialusually gets upon the panel upon which the brass plate is mounted andthe panel thus becomes unsightly.

Posters are sometimes movable away from a framework on which they aremounted by some mechanical means, such as shown in Patent 2,512,519 butthis is not suitable where there is no access to the back of the panelsuch as in a display sign wholly on the front of the panel from whichthe back of the panel is not accessible.

Summary The mounting panel has a surface against which the display plateengages. Linkages which house within the hollow portion of the signplate connect the plate and panel together in such a way that thelinkages permit the sign late to be moved outwardly away from the panelor retracted against the panel. Some means lock the sign plate to thepanel to hold it in display position. Resilient means tend to move thelinkage in such a way that the sign plate is urged toward the mountingpanel.

Description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the signplate extended forwardly from the mounting panel in servicing position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the plate but showing the linkages in planlooking from the top;

FIG. 3 is a fragmental view similar to FIG. 2 but with the panel omittedshowing the plate in collapsed or display position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental plan view of the slot by means of which lockingoccurs; and

FIG. 5 is an elevation partly in section of the movable member of thelocking means.

Description of the preferred embodiment A mounting panel receives a signplate 11 upon the face 12 of which some name or sign designatedgenerally 13 may appear. This plate 11 comprises a bordering beveledportion 14 extending rearwardly at an angle to the plane of the faceportion 12 and this bevel terminates in a flange 15, the edge of whichwill contact the panel 10 when moved thereagainst. The configurationprovides a hollow area 16 in which the linkage for the manipulation ofthe sign plate is housed.

The panel 10 is of any size, shape or thickness and has a fiat mountingsurface 20 which may be in a single plane.

The means by which the plate is attached to the panel United StatesPatent 0 3,429,546 Patented Feb. 25, 1969 ice comprises a base strip 21which may be secured to the mounting panel such as by screws 22. Spacedeyes 23 and 24 are rolled from the base plate to receive a pintle pin25. A link 26 having an eye 17 rolled from the end thereof is pivotallymounted on this pintle pin 25 in a hinging relation thereto. Eyes 28 arerolled on the other end of this link 26 in spaced relation and an eye 30on the end of a second link 31 is aligned with the eyes 28 to receive ahinging pintle pin 32. Spaced eyes 33 are at the opposite end of thelink 31 hinging link 31 to the end of a plate 34 by pintle pin 35. Thissame relation occurs in the linkage at the other end of plate 34. Aspring 36 surrounds the pin 32 in a space between the eyes with its arms38 and 39 embracing or anchored to the links 26 and 31 so as to tend tomove the pin 32 inwardly and collapse the links 26 and 31 inwardly intothe position shown in FIG. 3.

By reason of this linkage the plate 11 may be pulled outwardly from thepanel 10 for servicing, such as polishing a brass plate 11, and thenwhen completed the springs will move the plate back into a position sothat the flanges 15 engage the face 20 of the panel 10. A snap fasteningconsisting of a socket 40 on the base 21 and a stud 41 on plate 34 maybe used for holding this panel releasably against the panel.

In some cases it may be desirable to lock the plate against the paneland for this purpose I have provided a raised portion 45 in the base 21which will have an oblong slot 46 as shown in FIG. 4. A cylindrical lockdesignated generally 47 extends through plate 11 and is surrounded by acollar 54 on the back of the plate. It will have a head 48 securedthereto set into a recess 49 in the face 12 of the plate 11 and Will beprovided with a flattened position 50 at its inner end having fingers 51extending from either side which may pass through the slot 46 in base 21so that when turned at right angles these fingers will lie beneath theopposite side edges of the slot 46 and thus lock the plate to the panel.However, when turned so that the fingers line up with the slot 46, suchas shown in FIG. 2,- these fingers may then pass through the slot and byreason of the spring 52 engaging the shoulder of the enlarged portion 53will hold it in a position so that the plate may be moved outwardly bygrasping the plate and pulling it away from the panel. This member 47will have an opening 55 so that some sort of a key or spanner typeWrench or screwdriver may be passed into the opening 55 to turn the lockfrom locked to release position. The lock is accessible from the frontof the plate.

I claim:

1. A display sign comprising a plate, a mounting panel, means whollybetween said plate and panel for movably supporting the plate from thepanel for movement from a display position against the panel to aservicing position removed therefrom and means to lock the plate indisplay position comprising an elongated slot in said panel and a pincarried by said plate and having oppositely extending fingers of a sizeto pass through said slot in one position and extend over the oppositesides of the slot when in another position.

2. A display sign as in claim 1 wherein said means comprises two links,each link having two parts movably connected to each other with one partof each movably connected to the plate and the other part movablyconnected to the panel, resilient means urging the corresponding partsof the links toward each other to move said plate toward said panel intodisplay position.

3 4 3. A display sign as in claim 1 wherein said pin is acces-v FOREIGNPATENTS Sibl from 1116 face Of said Plate. Switzerland 4. A display signas in claim 1 wherein said pin has 332377 7/1930 Great Britain resilientmeans to friction its movement.

985,135 3/1951 France.

References Cited 5 ROY D, FRAZIER, Primary Examiner. UNITED STATESPATENTS J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner. 2,158,257 5/1939- Sheehe 16163XR 2,642,193 6/1953 Severin 211 1o4 XR 3,313,063 4/1967 Patin 16163 XR10 211104

